What is HappyLocker Ransomware?
HappyLocker Ransomware is a malicious program that appends an extension called .happy to its encrypted files. As our researchers at Anti-spyware-101.com report, the malware can encipher a broad range of file types, although it does not seem to affect any program data. If you suspect your computer could be infected with this particular threat, we advise you to carefully read through all the rest of the article and find more details about it. Also, if you would like to get rid of HappyLocker Ransomware manually, but do not know how we could offer our deletion instructions placed at the end of the article. As for not so experienced users, it might be easier to install a legitimate antimalware tool and let it remove the malware.
Where does HappyLocker Ransomware come from?
It is still difficult to indicate how users receive this threat, but since our specialists have seen lots of other similar malicious programs, they were able to distinguish a couple of possible ways. Firstly, the malware could infect your computer after opening a suspicious email attachment. Files like these often travel with Spam emails, so it is important to be extra cautious with such data. Secondly, HappyLocker Ransomware might be spread with malicious software installers distributed through harmful web pages. In any case, the threat shows how vulnerable the system is. Thus, it might be a good idea to get a reliable antimalware tool too.
How does HappyLocker Ransomware work?
Right after the system gets infected, HappyLocker Ransomware should start encrypting your personal files, such as photographs, pictures, various documents, and so on. Each file gets a second extension called .happy, e.g. picture.jpg.happy. During this process, the malware locks your data with a strong cryptosystem called AES (Advanced Encryption Standard). Unfortunately, to decipher such files, you have to have a unique decryption key, and it should be known only to the ones who created the malicious application. Unfortunately, the cyber criminals do not offer their help free of charge.
After HappyLocker Ransomware locks user’s data, it should display a short ransom note pointing to the ysasite.com/happy web page. The website contains detailed instructions on how to transfer the requested amount of money to the cyber criminals’ account. The asked price is 0.1 BTC or approximately 70 US dollars at the moment of writing. Perhaps, it does not seem to be very huge, but keep it in mind that even if you decide to pay, the malware’s creators might not bother to deliver the decryption tools.
How to erase HappyLocker Ransomware?
The truth is, removing HappyLocker Ransomware manually could be a rather difficult task. Apparently, it does not place any additional data on the system besides a couple of documents. Therefore, to eliminate it manually, you would have to locate the main malicious file you probably downloaded yourself and delete it. The instructions below might make it easier as they suggest a couple of possible directories, but probably the easiest way would be to use a legitimate antimalware tool. It could find the malicious file while performing a system scan and once the infection is detected it can be erased with a single mouse click. If you have other questions about the malware, let us know by leaving a message at the comments section or contacting us through social media.
Remove HappyLocker Ransomware
- Press Windows Key+E to launch the File Explorer.
- Go to the Downloads, Desktop, Temporary Files, or any other directory where you might have saved the infected file.
- Look for the malicious file with a random name (possible title: Instant Satoshi BOT).
- Right-click the malicious file and press Delete.
- Erase READDDDDDD.txt and READ.png files from the Desktop directory.
- Empty the Recycle Bin.
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